I Write What I Want
by TheXGrayXLady
Summary: And what I want is a whole lot of oneshots. They vary between silly and serious, they change pairings randomly, the ratings change too, and everything is pure, unadulterated awesome. Current Fic: Grand Master Dashi
1. Lucky

**_Notice:_ I am doing with a bunch of my unsorted oneshots what I did with my Unfortunate Antics Ensue series. I am organizing them and putting them in one convenient location. Enjoy!**

**Okay, happy happy fun time with TheXGrayXLady. This is a bit of an offshoot of my character theme songs bit. I got a suggestion to use Lucky by Colbie Callait and Jason Mraz for Raimundo and Kimiko. Unfortunately, I'm not writing for pairings for that fic and I really wanted to write this. Unfortunately, I wrote most of it at midnight so it kind of sucks. Anywho, it's about three in the morning here and I want to get to sleep so I'm going to wrap this up quick. It's nice to do something nice for Raimundo for once. **

_**Lucky**_

"Come on man. Snap out of it," he said, fishing his soccer ball out of the pond for what must have been the tenth time this hour. He didn't get it. He was off today. Really off. He had no idea why either. He would start juggling the ball, occasionally getting a good rhythm going too, when he would either kick it too hard, not hard enough, or just miss it entirely and it would wind up in the pond. Or the thorn bushes. He preferred the pond.

He started juggling the ball again, bouncing it easily from one foot to the other. He found himself unable to concentrate on the ball though. No matter what happened he found himself watching her. She was sitting under one of the maple trees with the morning's paper's sudoku and a pen. A few strands of her hair escaped her ponytail and fell in front of her face. He just barely stopped short of summoning a wind to brush them behind her ear.

_Why is she so fascinating all of a sudden?_ he thought, catching the ball and holding it under his arm. Sure he liked her, she was his best friend, but he didn't _like her_ like her. They'd done things together that he wouldn't dream of doing with another girl. Like that whole thing with the buckets of pond scum on the doors. Master Vic still hadn't forgiven them for that. She was a girl, she was his friend, but she would most definitely not be his girlfriend.

Besides, they argued way too often for him to like her that way. Just the other day they'd gotten into an argument about obscure historical trivia. He'd lost that one. How was he supposed to know that Alexander the Great had nine toes on one foot and eleven on the other? He liked the arguing though. It was weird, but at the same time reassuring that they could be going at it one moment, but the next they'd be laughing like they'd never fought.

She almost always supported him in battle, but had no issues with telling him when one of his plans was just plain stupid. She could be a bit short tempered about it, but he'd learned to deal with that. Either way, it was nice to know that she was looking out for him.

He glanced back over at her, she was staring off into space somewhere in his general area. She couldn't be looking at him. That wasn't what was happening. She was just spacing out. Although Kimiko didn't really space out. She was always aware of her surroundings. There was always a first time for everything though. He hastily looked away and back to his soccer ball before she noticed him looking.

No. He most assuredly did not like Kimiko. He did not like those pretty blue eyes, stubborn pride, clever strategies, and how easy she was to talk to. Actually, now that he thought about it, he might have had a thing for his best friend. Now that he really thought about it, he hadn't realized that he was walking towards her side of the pond.

Before he could think about it, he sat down next to her, pulled the pencil out from behind her ear, glanced down at her paper, and stuck the end of the pencil in his mouth as he thought.

"Rai, that's annoying and disgusting," she said, pulling another pencil out of her purse, almost as if she expected this. He cocked his eyebrow and twitched the pencil in his mouth.

"And you love it too," he said. Only it came out more like "Ab du buf id shoe." Humor, his first line of defense.

"I helped you with that thing with the pond scum. It doesn't mean that I approve of whatever you've done with Master Id's shoes," she said, rolling her eyes and holding back a laugh.

"I didn't do anything with Master Id's shoes," he said, removing the pencil from his mouth and filling in a box with a five. "This time."

"You should probably tell him that. He's looking for them," she said, erasing the five and replacing it with the correct seven. He hadn't touched the monk's shoes in months. Shoe jokes were lowbrow comedy at best.

"I am offended by even the implication that I would do something with people's shoes. I mean really. Who do they think I am? Jack?" he said, mock angry. He gave her his best "I am so innocent I practically ooze non-guilt" look as he erased a nine and wrote in a four.

"No," she said. She paused here for a moment, almost as if she was thinking about what she was going to say. She blushed a bit before saying, "You're much funnier than Jack."

He felt his breath catch slightly in his throat, maybe she did feel the same way. "And you're a brilliant girl I'm lucky to have," he said, without really thinking about it. She blushed an even deeper shade of red and smiled slightly. He smiled too and put an arm around her shoulder.

"Rai," she said. "You want to see a movie next weekend? Revenge of the Toaster Oven is playing."

"Just when we thought it was safe to make a pizza bagel," he said, levitating a cherry blossom down from the tree and using it to pin those stray bits of hair behind her ear. He didn't care if she was just acting like the world's best friend or a girl who reciprocated his crush. He just knew that he was in love.

_**X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X**_

"Pull it together," she said, glowering at the paper. This was supposedly a medium level difficulty Sudoku and yet she was fumbling over it like it was one of the insane ones. Every time she thought she knew a number, something would come up to prove her wrong. She couldn't figure it out either. She was normally good at this. But that splashing and scrambling on the other side of the pond kept distracting her.

No. That wasn't it. Normally she could concentrate with Rai being Rai in all his noisy, energetic, just plain random Rainess. It was easily her favorite part of her friend. Raimundo's sense of humor could always make her laugh.

She looked at him out of the corner of her eye. He was bouncing his soccer ball from one foot to the other only to have it wind up in the pond once again. As he retrieved it, that determined look she normally only saw when he was dealing with a particularly brutal fight against evil. One of those moments where he looked like he was never going to make another stupid pun again.

She shook her head and returned to her puzzle. Sure, he was her friend, but that didn't mean she liked him. She'd made him go to the spa with her and get their nails done. He'd chosen an unfortunate shade of sparkly crimson that the two of them dubbed "crack whore red." He'd had way too much fun with his crack whore persona that day.

The two of them spent way too much time arguing about pointless things anyway. And she was so right about the African swallow. It was fun, but sometimes it went a bit too far. Their arguments ended far too often in a virus sent straight to her PDA. Not that they weren't more interestingly difficult to remove than annoying. It was really more a friendly rivalry than anything else.

He always made her laugh, but had no issues with telling her that she was overreacting or flipping out. He wasn't always polite about it either. It wasn't easy to hear her flaws laid out the way he sometimes did, but she appreciated how he could get her to cool off.

She shook her head again. She didn't like his so bad they're good jokes, his jade green eyes, or his occasional smart moments. She was definitely just friends with Raimundo. But when she considered those factors, yes, it made logical sense that she might just like her best friend. Even most of her arguments against liking him were more like arguments for liking him.

She felt the pencil behind her ear move and she turned around just in time to see him making the worst impression of a one tusked walrus she'd ever seen. "Rai, that's annoying and disgusting." It was kind of funny though. Besides, she'd brought spares. He pulled a face that made him look like a bad walrus impersonator in pain.

"Ab du buf Id shoe," he said, not without a touch of pride. She didn't want to know what he'd done with Master Id's shoes. He hadn't worked with shoes for months, but she hadn't quite gotten over the shock of having her favorite pair of flats dropped into the fountain.

"I helped you with that thing with the pond scum. It doesn't mean that I approve of whatever you've done with Master Id's shoes," she said. The bit with the pond scum was actually kind of funny. Messing with shoes was serious business though.

"I didn't do anything with Master Id's shoes," he said, removing the pencil from his mouth and writing in a five where a seven clearly should have been. "This time."

"You should probably tell him that. He's been looking for them." He had, and now that she was reasonably sure that Rai hadn't done anything with them, she really didn't want to know why Jack was in the senior monk's quarters during his last raid.

"I am offended by even the implication that I would do something with people's shoes. I mean really. Who do they think I am? Jack?" he said in the over the top, hammy way that only Rai could. Then he put on that annoying "I am as innocent as a three day old puppy and you'd better believe it because I totally did not put itching powder in your socks" look and changed a nine to a four. How'd she missed that one?

"No." Was it just her, or did he seem nervous? Before she could think about it, she said, "you're much funnier than Jack." She knew what she really meant to say. "You're funny and I think I might like you."

"And you're a brilliant girl that I'm lucky to have," he said, he sounded rushed and flustered. He pulled that adorable "nervous running his hand through his hair" gesture. She smiled. He said he was lucky to have her. He probably just meant as a friend, but a girl could hope couldn't she? That line of reasoning was slightly weakened when he draped his arm across her shoulders.

"Rai," she said, knowing he'd say yes regardless of the reasons. "You want to see a movie next weekend? Revenge of the Toaster Oven is playing." She laid her head on his shoulder and waited for his answer.

"Just when we thought it was safe to make a pizza bagel," he said, levitating a cherry blossom down from the tree gently putting it behind her ear. She wasn't sure if he was either the greatest best friend ever or the world's best potential boyfriend, but either way, she was in love.

**It's three in the morning here and I want to sleep, I'm rather fond of sleep, so I'm going to wrap this up quickly. I'm sorry if it's crappy and repetitive. There are flamethrowers available for free when you press the review button.**


	2. Song of Skaia

**Alright, first I want to apologize to my non-Homestuck readers if this makes little to no sense because this is just my weird way of fusing my two fandoms. I'm not that hardcore about Homestuck so I haven't listened to most of the music yet (and I have no intention of doing so. I fully intend to avoid the fandom because fandoms have this funny tendency to ruin things for me), but was sharing an iPod with a friend who's a bit more into it than I am last Saturday and Song of Skaia came up and there are no words for it other than amazing. Even if you're not a Homestuck fan, I advise listening to it. Latin singing makes anything epic. **

**Disclaimer: Here piggy piggy piggy. Here piggy piggy piggy. Damn it. Where is that fracking piggy? With my luck, or lack thereof, it's probably all the way to Vegas by now. I guess I own nothing. Again.**

_**In vento cogitatio, spirat in vento  
E vacuo lux elucet, lux e vacuo  
E somno somnia cre'ta, somnia e somno  
In clara umbra creatum versat**_

_**== Knight of Breath: Rise Up**_

In that moment, the world seemed silent and peaceful. The smirking sorcerer across the cloud and blood pouring from his chest were a faraway dream. As he fell forwards, the shriek of, "Rai no!" falling on deaf ears, he idly wondered if the cumulonimbus was as soft as it looked. He wouldn't know though, the condensation brushing against his face as he fell went unfelt as he passed through the stratosphere.

Green eyes, once so vivid and bright, became two dull chips of jade and he twisted as he fell so that, even with the black creping in at the edges of his blurring vision, the bright white of the clouds were still clear as day. The wind played with and tousled his hair as it went rushing past.

Cold air passed through his lips, but he barely noticed. His weakening heartbeat and slowing breathing were part of another being. The ever widening circle of red was on robes he wasn't wearing. The soft cotton wasn't touching his skin. The roar of the wind wasn't in his ears. The creeping cold wasn't in his arms and legs.

The only thing that registered was the gold glow of the sun behind the clouds. Warmth that he knew to be caressing his face, but didn't feel and gold light succumbing to the soft dark. He was unafraid of the dark, but out of ignorance rather than courage. The slow pulse didn't push blood through his veins and into the cotton fibers. The gold held his attention, not the red.

The winds played and weaved about him, occasionally whisking drops of bright red blood away from a wound he didn't feel. Without his knowledge, they spun a soft web of unseen netting about their master until he was engulfed in a clear cocoon. Still, he continued to fall. To fall out of time, out of space, further into a realm of forgotten dreams.

The beautiful golden glow faded to black as his eyes closed and the falling stopped as his pulse faded to nothingness. Yet in that moment he became more aware than ever before. He felt the swirling winds below him, holding him up. He could still feel the way his arms and legs hung down loose from his body, the way his head tilted back on a limp neck. The dull chill of his body and the stillness of all but the hair and clothes gently tugged and tossed by the breeze. He could feel the outer limits of his skin, borders in the darkness. The gentle whisper of the wind saying nonsense in his ears. The motionless mass of muscle that had once been a heart.

There was no pain though. He could feel the gentle way the wind occasionally touched the gaping hole where the blast struck home. It traced around the edge, spiraling in and flowing into his wrecked chest, caressing the pierced lung, the shredded arteries and veins, the shattered bone. It caressed the bloodstained debris and viscera, playing with the frayed and tattered edges as Kimiko once played with his hair, teasing and styling until it reached its desired shape.

The tendrils of wind flowed towards his broken body more quickly with every moment. They whirled and flowed into him, coursing through the bloody crater. An outside observer would have noted the gold glow emanating from his body, starting from the wound and spiraling in tendrils outwards and slowly engulfing his entire body.

As the winds flowed into him, he appeared a being made of pure light. As the last of the breezes streamed into the gold where there had once been a bloody wound, he was entirely still. The winds no longer tousled his shaggy hair or tossed his baggy robes. For all the world to see, a gilded statue in the sky.

Just as slowly as it came, the gold faded from his body, flowing back towards the wound and sinking into his body. As it finally faded, all the evidence that remained was the torn, bloodstained robe and the motionless boy. Then he felt his previously still heart give a jolting beat and the winds whirled around him again, bearing him up through the sky and back through the clouds.

He could feel the moisture from the clouds this time, gently brushing against his face and he could feel a dull ache in his chest, but it didn't hurt as much as it would have before. He could hear the battle that raged as he broke through the clouds, but he kept rising until he was high above them, their faces tilted up in wonderment at how he'd risen from what should have killed him.

Set against the sun, he appeared silhouetted in golden light, the winds swirling about him in anticipation of his command. His eyes, now a blazing emerald green, meet with the tawny slits of the sorcerer in an unspoken challenge.

_**== The Knight is Arisen. Your Shit is Wrecked.**_

…**And that is how Raimundo Got Tiger. No really, sorry to everybody who puts up with my nonsense and is willing to put up with my Homestuck music inspired drivel. If you read it, despite the weirdness that comes from listening to Latin chanting, please review and tell me what you think.**


	3. Critical Point

**I don't know why I'm writing so much angst lately. Life's pretty good right now. New Coldplay album coming out tomorrow, fun things happening at school, playing starting midfield on a soccer team that's probably going to the play offs, good group of horses at work (Benzine, Rio Reverso, Oz, Madame Magic, and Chaotica), and I have leopard print yoga pants. I want to write happy stuff. But I'm just not feeling inspired to do so. Anywho, this was originally going to be part of Butterflies and Hurricanes, but I decided it didn't fit with the rest of it, but I didn't want to get rid of it. So I took it, changed the POV (note the stylistic differences from most of my work. I am not in any of the character's heads here), expanded on it, and had a bit of fun with some other stuff surrounding it and that's what you see below. It's different from what I normally do, but I like it. I feel like it's pretty good (hence why I rescued it from the recycle bin).**

**Disclaimer: As much as I would love to, I don't own anything here.**

**_Critical Point_**

Rain splattered to the paving stones in the middle of the half-built temple complex. Skeletons of future dining halls, dormitories, and meditation chambers stood silhouetted in faint firelight coming from the courtyard. They cast sharp, geometric shadows, turning the normally welcoming place into an almost nightmare like dreamland. Despite this, there was a young man in the rain-soaked courtyard.

He looked to be in his mid to late teens, of average height and slight build. He was practicing a set of intricate movements, and every time he looked to be finished, an expression of something between frustration and disgust would cross his face and he would start all over again. Rain dripped from his long black hair as he performed the moves as he had for hours. His ragged breathing formed a sort of rhythm with his irregular splashing footsteps in the puddles.

He flinched as he landed a particularly difficult flip, but didn't stop. Whenever he stopped, his body would start to tremble. Whether it was from cold, pain, or exhaustion would have been difficult to tell. Another series of flips and kicks, this time he wasn't quite so lucky. His left leg crumpled beneath him and if not for one of the paving stones flying up to catch him, he would have fallen to the ground.

"What do you think you're doing? It's almost midnight and it's raining," Another young man stepped out of one of the few finished buildings. He didn't have the same haggard appearance of the other, but it was evident that he was worried about something.

"What does it look like? I'm training," he replied, unconsciously leaning on the floating stone for support. He tried to put weight on his left ankle again. He gave a barely audible gasp and his face contorted, but he didn't shift his body.

"Master Li ordered you to stay off your ankle for at least a week," the larger boy said. His tone was perfectly flat. No emotion, just stating a fact.

"Master Li's overreacting. There's nothing wrong with my ankle," he said through gritted teeth. Shadows from the fire made the dark circles under his eyes stand out against his deathly pale skin.

"Yes there is, but that's the least of it. Chase, you can't keep doing this to yourself," he said.

"I'm not doing anything. It's just training." His voice was cold and quiet, but had a bit of a feral edge to it.

"In the middle of the night when you were ordered not to," he said. Another statement of fact. "And you're always either training or studying. We're all worried about you."

"What is there to worry about? I'm fine," Chase said. The fire dimmed in response to this, hiding his pained expression.

"I'm just saying that the way you are now, I don't want you to have my back in a fight. Dashi was right when he said that you're working yourself into an early grave," he said, calmly folding his hands behind his back.

"What's that supposed to mean?" He tried to fall into an attack stance, but his bad leg was having none of that. It was just sheer force of will keeping him on his feet now. Forcing down the pain, forcing down the exhaustion.

"I mean it had better only look like you haven't slept in a week," he said. "You're pushing yourself too hard. You never take a break, even when you need it. When was the last time you ate a meal with the rest of us? Hell, when was the last time you ate in general? You need to rest, but you're refusing to. And now you're out here in the freezing rain in the middle of the night, flipping around on a leg that won't take it."

"Dragon of Fire. I don't get cold."

"That's not the point. We're Xiaolin Dragons, but we're also human. We've got limits. You're killing yourself and I don't get why. You were fighting perfectly fine before you started this excessive training."

"Because it's not good enough. I got beaten by Hannibal. I can't let that happen again," he said, his voice like cold steel. "If my best isn't good enough then I have to be better. Limits were meant to be surpassed."

"Not the way you're trying to. If you're too stubborn to see that you're overworking yourself, at least know that your skills have gotten worse over the last few days." Upon hearing the insult to his abilities, Chase lunged for the larger boy. He didn't even flinch, just blocked. The smaller boy wound up on the ground anyway.

"Even yesterday you would have had enough strength to fight back. You went past your limit a long time ago and you're just running out of time until you finally break. You're my best friend. I don't want to see it when you do," he said, turning to leave.

He didn't get more than a few steps before hearing, "Guan, help me up."

"So you can get right back to "training"."

"I told you already, I'm not good enough. I can't stop until I am," he said, trying to stand, but unable to.

"Do you define good enough as barely able to stand and getting weaker by the moment? Because if that's what it is then you are flawless," he replied, almost glaring at the boy on the ground, but unable to even look at him.

"I'll be fine. I just need a little help getting back up," he said. The silence that followed was only interrupted by the feeble crackle of the fire.

"Alright then. I'll help you up, but on one condition," he said, breaking the silence. Chase winced and nodded. "If you can take ten steps I will leave you alone and you can do whatever the hell you want. If you can't, then you are going to come back inside and stop this idiocy."

"I give my word." He held his hand out for assistance.

Guan helped his friend to his feet and then stepped back. The fire flickered, but defiantly stayed burning as Chase took a first shaky step. His body shook as he fought for a second, and then a third. Pain filled his gold eyes, but he struggled on. The fire dimmed even further around the sixth or seventh and Guan expression shifted from one of stoicism to one of worry. At the eighth step, his determination gave him new strength and the fire blazed stronger than ever. Upon the ninth he looked to be almost glowing in the firelight. A look of fierce pride almost obscured the pain in his eyes and face.

Guan whispered "what have I done?" as his friend took the final step. It would have been difficult to see, but for a moment, Chase looked to be similarly concerned. His left foot touched the ground one final time and somehow it looked like it would hold. Then a look passed through his eyes, like he'd come to a decision, and he fell to the ground. The fire dimmed down to barely smoldering embers, but stayed glowing.

"Come on you hothead," Guan said, helping Chase to his feet and helping him walk to the dormitories. "You're not killing yourself tonight."

Chase hobbled alongside his friend and said in a voice inaudible to all but those with the most precise hearing, "thank you."

**So...Good, bad, indifferent? I totally understand if you want to flame it because it more than kind of sucks (bunsen burners available at the review button). It's an overly angsty mess with an ending so unrealistic and forced that it makes me notably displeased. Still, the lemon bars mentioned in my songfic piece are still available in exchange for a review. Let me know if you like. :)**


	4. Heat Wraps and Tea Kettles

**My half of my trade with the amazing Lightningidle. Alright, so fun story. This was originally going to be a ghost story, then I read Black and Blue and wanted to do a weird little follow up thing to that. Anywho, I love writing these two and I really hope you like it! They're just too much fun. :^)**

"I don't understand," she muttered, pressing the ice to her shoulder. "There aren't even muscles there." She'd never been so sore in her entire life. That course earlier had done a number on every conceivable part of her body, and a lot that she hadn't even thought could hurt.

She'd been sitting at the kitchen table for a while now, she'd originally come in here for ice and maybe some advil or something, but she wasn't entirely sure she could get out of the chair anymore. And this was just day one. In her opinion, things couldn't get much worse from here. She suspected Raimundo and Omi weren't exactly fond of her and that Master Fung was less than pleased with her light show.

Suddenly, much to her dismay, the ice began to slide down her arm and onto the floor. "Damn," she said, looking at the blue plastic pack on the ground, melting on the linoleum. She winced as she reached down for it, her back protesting the whole way. "Oh god." And just to suit her luck, the ice pack was just out of reach.

"You alright?" said a voice from the doorway. Murphy's Law really had it in for her.

"I've been better," she replied, still reaching for the ice.

""Ya need help?"

"No!" she said. "I mean, I can handle this." She was not giving in at this point. She would not ask for help, she would not look week.

"Ya sure?"

"Yes." If she wasn't cursed with short person arms this wouldn't be a problem. She would either need a couple inches more arms or be willing to dump herself on the floor. "Maybe?"

He bent down, picked up the ice pack, and handed it to her. As she sat back up, pressing the ice back onto her shoulder, she couldn't help but notice the cowboy standing by the counter. Peachy. Just peachy. She just couldn't get away from making a fool of herself in front of the Xiaolin Dragons today.

"So," he started, taking the tea kettle from the cabinet. "How ya likin' the things so far?"

"Sandbags are heavy," she said.

"It gets easier ya know," he replied. "It's not all gettin' smacked with sandbags and alligator bites."

"Good to know," she said, hesitating a moment before asking, "Was I really that bad?"

"For a first time, naw," he said. "Ya want a cup of tea?'

"I'm all set." She was not in the mood for anything food or drink related right now. "Was I really not that terrible?"

"Everybody's awful the first time around," he said, pouring water into the kettle and setting it down on the stove. "When we started, the only one of use with a decent time was Omi 'cause he's been trainin' his whole life."

"Wow," she said, she supposed she knew that, but it hadn't fully registered. "Can't really think of you guys as being bad at anything."

"We're not invincible," he said, sitting down across from her. "I remember I had the worst time with the steppin' stones. Didn't really have the whole balance thing down." He laughed a bit, in memory of obstacle course related humiliation.

"Good to know," she said, shifting the ice.

"Ya know that's just going to make ya stiffer later on?" he said, gesturing to the ice.

"Ya gotta use a heat wrap, relaxes everythin' rather than numbin' it."

"Wish I'd known that twenty minutes ago," she said, putting the ice pack on the table. "So you think I'm really not that bad?"

"Nah. Wasn't great, but I thought what you did with the sandbags was creative," he said, fiddling with his hat.

"Yeah, too bad it's cheating," she said, trying to stretch out her shoulder.

"It's like my Pa always says, 'It don't have to look pretty. It just has to get the job done,'" he said.

"Well it's not doing either right now," she muttered.

"It's not about how many times ya fall off the horse, it's about how many time ya get back on," he said. "Just give it some time and a little bit of elbow grease and it'll all come together." He smiled a little, she figured he meant it to be reassuring, but it wasn't. The thought was nice though.

"Yeah, well, let's hope it comes together fast," she said, glancing over to the steaming kettle. "Water's ready."

"Sure you don't want anything?" he asked. She had to admit, it was sweet of him to ask, but she had to decline again. "Suit yourself. Everbody else's in the common room playin' Mario Kart. I was gonna head over. Ya wanna come?"

And suddenly her pain was more or less forgotten. "If I can hobble over, I totally call Luigi." He laughed a little.

"That's the spirit," he said, helping her up. Maybe this whole temple thing wasn't so bad after all.

**Put that review in the blue box or so help me, so help me, so help me get bye. Put that review in the blue box or I shall poke myself in the eye! And review!**


	5. Ballad of Serenity

**So here ya go. Chase Young space cowboy AU because if you're ever given an option of writing a space cowboy AU you take it. ****This is an extension of the last fic in my Chuya speedwrite challenge and is based off the theme song of the much beloved, but short lived series Firefly. **_  
_

_Take me out to the black.  
Tell em I ain't comin' back.  
Burn the land and boil the sea.  
You can't take the sky from me._

The look on her face as he strolled into the establishment was priceless. Her eyes followed him as he settled into a back table and placed his order with one of the girls. Her old partner, arisen from the dead. A ghost from the void of space, come back to haunt her in her hour of glory. Of course, as is typical when one sees a ghost, she called in an exorcist.

"Now partner, I told you that if you have a problem with Mayor Stone you can skadoodle," the sheriff said, his dark eyes shining dangerously.

"If Ms. Stone had a problem with me, I trust she can handle it herself," he said, feeling the cold metal of his blaster with one hand and tipping back the black brim of his hat with the other. Ms. Stone _was _perfectly capable of handling her own problems, she'd proven that on Gamma-5. She obviously had more control over this station than he thought.

"Partner, I don't want to do anythin', but I'm the law 'round here," he said, flashing his oh so impressive badge. "You familiar with the chain of command?"

"Enlighten me," he said, picking up his whisky and swirling the ice in the glass, paying much more attention to the amber liquid than to an overblown hired gun with delusions of authority.

"It's the chain I beat you with until you know who's in ruttin' command," he replied. For a moment, he glanced up at the so-called sheriff. He was a man of mid height, well-muscled, dirty blond hair slicked back, and a slight crazy look to his eyes. This wasn't going to end well. For the sheriff.

"Is that a threat?" he asked, laughing slightly. He hoped it was. He could use the target practice.

"Only if you make it," he replied. His tone said otherwise.

"I don't want trouble," he said. This would have to be calculated; he couldn't act on his repulsion, otherwise he'd just be a thug shooting the sheriff. His goal was to hurt Wuya, not kill a hired dog. "Just want to sit here and have my drink."

"Sure ya do," he said. "That's why Ms. Stone wants ya gone."

"Sir, I'm not interested in causing problems," he said, setting down his drink and finally making eye contact with the other man. "But if you keep insisting, then there's going to be one."

"Well mister, my job's to get rid of the problems," he replied, placing his hands on the table and staring back at him. "Ya bein' a problem ya understand?"

"Don't see how, just sitting here," he replied, giving Ms. Stone a glare from across the bar. Wuya Stone was going to pay for this. You did not set your dog on Chase Young without threat of retribution. He figured she, of all people, should know that.

But then again, last he'd seen her, she'd abandoned him on a meteor with two hours of air and made off with the artifacts and his old partner. He'd been lucky to flag down a passing ship and then steal it. She'd forced him, the great Chase Young, head of the Heylin crime syndicate, to into petty property crimes. To put it politely, there would be payback.

"Well, y'all's sittin' there is disturbin' the peace. I've asked ya politely, ya gotta go." With that, the sheriff put his greasy hands on his shoulders and lifted him up by his vest. The man was at least going to make things interesting for him.

He waited until the unfortunate lug carried him into a more open area of the bar before making a move. From there, it was a simple matter of a firm kick to the abdomen and a simple mantis strike to the shoulder to incapacitate the man. Once he was on solid ground, he sweepkicked the man's feet out from under him and he landed hard, stunning him. The other patrons leapt to their feet to defend their sheriff, and so he removed his blaster from its holster and shot the man in the shoulder. It would likely only further incite the mob against him if he were to outright kill him and he could use a brute like this in his organization. With that, the remainder of the barflies went silent and stopped in their tracks.

"Good. Now, you see sir," he said, addressing the sheriff, digging his heel into the injured shoulder. "I've no quarrel with you. In fact, I could use you. Your boss on the other hand…" While still looking at the sheriff, he leveled the barrel of the gun at Wuya's forehead. He didn't need to look to see her jaw drop with incredulity that he would have the audacity to attack her in the seat of her power. "No Ms. Stone, there's no need to worry. I have no intention of killing you. I'm just going to leave you on a godforsaken meteor and let the void do the rest"

"And how do you expect to do that?" she spat, the distinct click of her own gun ringing in his ears. "You're nobody here Chase."

"Please Wuya. I'm Chase Young, not some vagabond, I defied death to reclaim what's mine. You really think I'd come in here without a plan?" he said, still not looking up at her. She wouldn't get the benefit of his respect this time around. "It's been a year. You really think I haven't rebuilt my organization? As we speak, there are thirty highly trained operatives outside, ready to pounce at my slightest signal."

That was a lie, although knowing her well enough to know that she knew him well enough to know that it was completely believable helped him in that department. Back in the old days, he could find thirty men without trying. She didn't have to know that he'd apparently lost his touch.

"Had to bring in that much backup? Must be slowing down Chase." She didn't believe her words though. She knew the old Chase. She knew a Chase that could storm an outer planet with only his name, she knew a man that had broken out of the Federation's most secure prison without leaving a trace, and went on to steal state secrets from under their noses at a gala. She didn't know him now; a man who'd lost everything and was fighting to get it back.

"Not at all Wuya. Just tying up loose ends," he said, looking up at her at last. The bitch really hadn't changed that much, her style of dress remained more or less the same, her hair was still as luxurious as ever, the difference now was that she had something to lose at last. She had nothing to lose by leaving him stranded, she thought she'd everything to gain. Now, she had a life built up ruling this fairly wealthy outer planet and she thought he could take it from her in the blink of an eye.

"I'm giving you until noon tomorrow," he said. "By then, you're either off planet or you meet me outside the courthouse to settle this. Standard rules, twenty paces, old style revolvers. If you leave, I expect compensation for the artifacts you stole as well as my ship. If I find so much as one scratch on her hull, I will have my men hunt you down and leave you in Reaver territory. I'm giving you one last chance, I suggest you take it because if you show up tomorrow," he pulled the trigger and shot off a sizable chunk of ruby red hair, barely missing her ear. She didn't flinch, "I won't miss."

He could see her weighing her options. He was one of the best shots in the verse, but in a pinch, she was faster on the draw. Without a doubt, she was going to fight for what was hers, but he was giving her an opportunity to rebuild. That would be extremely tempting, perhaps overly so. On some level, he hoped she'd take it, she was one of the best partners he'd ever had, but she'd taken his trust and destroyed it. If he wanted to rebuild his own life, he couldn't let her get away with it.

"Tomorrow then," she said, stepping out from behind the bar and gesturing to the door.

"Yes, tomorrow," he said, staring daggers at her to indicate that he was going nowhere. She returned his look with equal venom. God he couldn't believe he'd forgotten those poison malachite eyes. "Til then…" he settled back down into his chair, picked up his drink, and tipped his hat to her in a gesture of dismissal.

Ms. Stone clenched her jaw and for a moment looked like she'd shoot him right then and there, but instead she turned on her heel and strode out of the saloon, looking as if she'd done him a favor by doing so. The rest of the filed out after her, a pair of them carrying their fallen sheriff out and probably to a doctor.

"I've still got it," he murmured, listening to the clink of the ice on the class while picturing his glorious future.

_There's no place I can be  
Since I found Serenity.  
But you can't take the sky from me._


	6. Various Speedwrites

**Alright, so I finally got to the requested speedwrites. Lightningidle and Coralineslayerxxx I hope you guys like them!**

**Everybody Loves Me**** (OneRepublic)**  
Up until that moment, she'd never feared him. But looking at him now, even hours after the fact still reveling in the crowd's adoration, she had to admit that she'd never been more terrified.

"Did you hear it? Min, you saw them today, the people love me," he said, tipping back in his chair, his eyes glowing with pride. "We can't lose."

She almost spoke, but she knew he only heard the cheering. He was stunned by his glory. Made deaf by his own name, exalted by their lips. Blinded by their adoration to the truth. They loved him, that much was true, but they loved a charismatic party boy with a tenuous at best claim to the throne. Everybody loved him, but none would follow and he was drunk on false hope.

**I Can't Decide**** (Scissor Sisters)**  
It had never had such a hard decision. There were four of them, four of them. Did it absorb them now or did it wait and play with its prey? Would they even give a good game? This one had. Its host had been fun. Would the others? Could it perhaps take one or two now and then play with the rest?

But which ones to take and which to leave. They all looked to be equally fun. The little one would be easiest to torment, but the brown haired boy seemed unsure of himself. It could hunt them down one by one and remove each by their own element, burn the girl, bury the large boy alive. Make them think the host had snaped and revel in the delicious physical and psychological torment it would inflict.

**Walk Away** **(The Script)**  
This was it. She was finally going to do it. It would be better for both of them if she just ended things now. He would need to make a political marriage eventually and she would need to move on with her life. Their relationship would come to nothing and it would be better for both of their futures if there was a clean cut now.

It would hurt, but in the long run it would be better to leave. He would want to stay with her and she wanted to stay with him, but they needed to be done if they were to survive.

**Dirty Dancer** (Enrique Iglesias)/b  
That was one of the things she liked about Settekh, he could keep up with her in every way. Their arrangement was war, but that just made things all the better. It was the intensity, the spark, even the fury, at brought her back time and time again. Right now, she wouldn't have it any other way. Unlike many he kept her interested, insisted on changing things when it got too boring.

The best part though was that she didn't have to care about him, she could just appreciate his taught muscles and expert handiwork without worrying about petty emotional hangups.

**Goodbye Apathy**** (OneRepublic)**  
And at once, the world froze. A chill ran through her body and her breath caught in her throat. It wasn't supposed to go this way. She couldn't believe the blood spreading across his shirt as the trident slid out with a silent squelch.

She moved across the battlefield, at the same time numb and filled with dread. She vaguely remembered Dashi calling, "Min, no!" later on, but at the time she only saw a small form crumpling to the ground.

She'd thought she'd protected herself from something like this, built a shield of indifference, but now it all came crashing down.

**Lovestoned/I Think She Knows Interlude** **(Justin Timberlake)**  
"What do you say we get out of here?" she said, placing her hands on his chest and leaning in close. "This party is a bit dull don't you think?"

"Very," he said, setting his wine down on a nearby ledge and wrapping his arms around her waist. "Have I told you that you look stunning tonight?"

"Not nearly often enough," she said, as they took their dalliance to a secluded corner of the gardens.

The shadows cast by the moonlight across his skin made him look almost ethereal tonight and his hands on her body felt like the hands of a god. Each touch felt electric, intoxicating. She would happily lie here in the grass, blissed out on pleasure, for the rest of her life. Flawless, his smooth skin beneath her hands, her nails digging into his back just slightly, and the feel of his mouth on her collarbone.

X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X

He was almost confused to wake up to an empty bed the next morning. He was seventy-five percent sure that this was the hangover talking, but he couldn't help but imagine Minerva next to him, imagine watching the dawn break and bathe her in soft golden light. No, not light. Light was not a friend right now.

Even as he covered his eyes against the bright light, he could still see her. Damn that woman. She had a hold on him that he couldn't quiet explain, nor did he want to. He wanted to spend hours looking into those strange eyes and try and figure out whether they were blue or gray, but he had responsibilities and she was a distraction. He had his own life, she shouldn't be such a big deal, but how could he move on when her subtle laugh rang in his ears?

"Damn," he whispered. _I think I'm starting to love her._

**If I Had a Million Dollars**** (Bare Naked Ladies)**

"If you had a million dollars, what would you do with it?" she asked, laying back in the grass.

"Don't know. I reckon I'd get some of land and build a house," he said.

"You'd build a house?" she said, giving him a questioning look.

"Yeah. That way we can make it however we want," he said.

"Huge library?"

"Yeah."

"Armory?"

"What kinda butt-whooping warriors would we be without an armory?"

"Tree fort?"

"What kinda self-respecting house wouldn't have a tree fort?" he laughed. "We could have a little fridge in it."

"With really fancy ketchup."

"And there'd be a buncha guest rooms so our friends could visit whenever they want."

**Pinball Wizard**** (The Who)**

"ay girl. You're good at the new games. I'm the king of old school," he said, gesturing to the beautiful machine not without a touch of pride.

"Is that a challenge Rai?" she said, putting her hands on the buttons.

"Please. I am the Grandmaster Xiaolin Dragon of Pinball," he said, wrapping his arms around her waist and putting his head on her shoulder. "Tell you what, you beat my highschore and I do your chores for a week."

"You're going down," she said.

**You're My Best Friend** **(Queen)**

"So let's get this straight, stuff like this happens and you have, 'feels'," he heard a familiar voice say. He could not fathom why Lexis would be here or why they would be talking about feelings or anything, so what was a good dragon to do but listen at the door.

"Yes. You see, when something like that happens, it's supposed to make you feel good," Eliza replied.

"I see. So it's like…" Well this was certainly a strange conversation.

"Yes. It's supposed to make you feel warm and fuzzy." Well, this could get very awkward very quickly. He was moving on and seeing what Omi and Clay were doing.

"So why then does Moffat keep killing off Rory?"

**Thriftshop**** (Macklemore)**

"Wait…what is this place?" Kimiko asked, eyeing the building with trepidation.

"You said we could go wherever I wanted to go. You trusted me with the Silver Manta Ray. I took us here," Emma replied, gesturing to the thrift shop. "Trust me, they sell nothing but the coolest stuff."

"If you call coolest infested with bedbugs," Kimiko muttered, following the witch into the store.

"Come on. It'll be fun," Emma said, ignoring her friend's horrified expression at the motheaten clothing and nicknacks. "Holy carp that's an Avenger's lunchbox!"

While Kimiko had to admit, it was oddly nice to see Emma getting excited over clothes shopping, but she certainly hadn't expected this.

**Notes Time!**

**1) Settekh was an ass as a younger guy. He was a bit of a self-absorbed hedonistic fame seeker and it took him a while to grow out of it. **

**2) I'm not sure if this one turned out right, but that song is so fracking psychotic I couldn't think of anything else to do. **

**3) Oh boo hoo Min. Stop angsting. **

**4) This could have been mad awks. Instead, I made it less mad awks. You're welcome. **

**5) She cares about her boy. She really does. She just doesn't have an easy time showing it. **

**6) The two part version of this song is better than the one with just Lovestoned. I split it where the song changes tone to hopefully show that while Minerva does care about him, they are at different places in the relationship.**

**7) Frack everything I couldn't resist writing older Emma and Clay fluff. **

**8) They would totally play pinball together. But Master Fung would beat everybody because that's how Master Fung rolls. On another topic, I have a hard time taking The Who seriously now because of a CSI Miami marathon. **

**9) I hope I got what you wanted. I think I did most of it to the best of my ability. **

**10) I'm not sorry. I unironically love that song and Kimiko would totally be horrified by a thrift shop.**

**Anywho, please review my nonsense and if you want, I'll take requests for speedwrites!  
**


	7. Skyfall

**It feels great to be back on form. I haven't written anything like this in a while and it feels great. Just really great. I needed some good Raikim. And I've been so inspired. I've had this fic planned for a while now because ADELE is an absolutely amazing singer and I had it just about finished yesterday. Then I went to actually see Skyfall today to get the proper feel of it (BTW kiddos, never go to a late night showing of anything. It's a bad idea. You think it's a good idea because there won't be issues with parking, but then you get out and realize that you have no idea where you parked, and your friends don't remember either, and every car looks like yours and the parking lot is creeptastic) and I could go on and on about how wonderful that movie was, but I won't because then I'll just look like I'm trying to pad my word count. Which I would never do. Ever. Anyway, to make a long story short, I really hope you guys like this because it was so great for me to write it and I want you to enjoy it just as much.**

_Let the sky fall_  
_ When it crumbles_  
_ We will stand tall_  
_ Face it all together_  
_ At skyfall_

"This is it isn't it?" she said, looking up at the boy kneeling beside her.

"Yeah. I guess so," he wheezed. He'd burned himself out with their escape to this stone spire. This time, there would be no last minute burst of wind to carry them to safety. It would only be a matter of time until the spectres came.

She forced herself to her hands and knees. She knew she still had some power left, not enough to hold their position, but just enough to take some of them with her when the time came.

"You think they made it?" she asked. They'd been separated from Omi, Clay, and Dojo in the initial assault.

She could still remember the way the earth bucked and split before them in the burning twilight, the swirling vortex to world's unknown just below the surface. She remembered how the black shapes poured through, their supremely inhuman hissing, shrieking cackles, how they twisted and writhed in the dying sunlight in sick rejoicing of their freedom before descending upon them. She remembered their touch, so cold it burned, as they fought against the black tide, remembered how even with their powers, they barely made a dent in their numbers.

"I don't know," he said. She did her best to ignore the way blood sprayed across the stone as he spoke. She hoped they did, but there wasn't time to dwell on it.

"They'll be here soon," she said. Even now, glancing over the edge, she could see a rippling swathe of black moving up the spire, covering it like a silk cloak.

"Yeah," he said, his arms shaking as he struggled to hold himself up. "We can't give them the satisfaction..." His words trailed off as he coughed.

"Shh. Don't try," she said, placing her finger on his bloody lips to silence him. "Save your strength."

"For what?" he replied, taking her hand in his and holding it to his cheek. "Kim, you know I don't do quiet." He gave a dark laugh. "If they drag me to hell, it's going to be kicking and screaming the whole way." His hand fell away to support his weight. She mirrored his movements moments later as pain flared through her leg.

"You know what we have to do right?" she said. Rai nodded, the pain in his emerald eyes just short of tangible.

"Let me help you up," he said, putting his arm around her shoulder and hauling the both of them to their feet. She winced and bit her lip to keep from crying out. She couldn't show weakness now. "Is it bad?"

"I'll be fine," she lied, glancing at the gash in her thigh. The blood had dyed her off white leggings a deep, almost black, red. Her leg shook and blazed with pain as she tried to put weight on it and instead she turned to Rai for support. "You?"

"Same here," he said. She felt his deformed ribs through his robes, how they shattered and splintered, destroying him from the inside. "Kim, before they get here, I just want you to know that I..." She felt the fragments shift as he broke out in another coughing fit.

"I know," she said, burying her nose in the crease between his shoulder and neck. He wrapped his other arm around her body, pulling her close. Even so weak, he felt so strong to her. "I wish we had more time."

"We could blow this joint, save the world, then wash, rinse, repeat next week," he said, caressing her hair.

"Sounds like a plan," she murmured, pulling away from him a bit, but not enough to support herself. "Here's another. When they come, when they surround us, there's going to be a fire storm. If I don't get all of them, you know what to do. Right?" He pulled her close again, taking one of her hands in his, before stepping back.

They turned so that they were back to back, so as not to be taken by surprise. Her leg ached, but she would have to stand. She would meet her fate standing tall, her back straight, the true warrior she was. She still held tight to his hand, they'd already lost so much, they couldn't afford to lose each other.

For a while, all she noticed was the spectres shrieking getting closer and closer by the moment, Rai's ragged, catching breaths and the sky around them, a flat sea of storm gray clouds. Then they came. It was slow at first, one or two hanging above them like great black bats, waiting for the rest of the hoard. Then more joined them and the more adventurous of the bunch would swoop in for a close pass. Each time, that same impossible chill would blaze through her body. Finally, they were surrounded by a dome of black, writhing forms. It was almost time. They weren't quite close enough yet, if she moved too soon she might use up her power for nothing.

For a moment, the shapes stopped their shrieking. If anything, the silence was worse. She understood the shrieking at this point, she could shut it out, make it into white noise, but the silence was empty, a void that anything could fill. It was the anything that scared her. This wasn't something she could control, it was wild, unpredictable. It was all she could do to hold onto Rai's hand and wait for them to dive.

Then all at once, in a great convergence of black, they flew at the warriors. And she waited. She couldn't miss this, couldn't misjudge the timing, if she did then she would expose the world to more of these abominations. When they were so close she could touch one if she were so inclined, she said, "Wudai Mars, Fire," and the flames leapt from her body, scorching the spectres, turning the vanguard to dust before their eyes.

For a moment, she could see nothing but dancing flames and she rejoiced. They would succeed, they would win this, patch each other up, find the others, go back home, and wash, rinse, repeat next week. She tipped her head back slightly and she laughed. Laughed like a woman who lost everything and then gained it back by the same stroke of cosmic irony. Laughed like a mad woman. Her raucous laughter echoed against the crackling of flames and dying shrieks of the spectres, proclaiming her jubilation to the dawn sky. Everything was going to be alright. This time, everything was going to be alright.

Then the fire died down and so did her laughter for she saw the still seemingly endless wall of black surrounding them. She'd done nothing, made no progress. They wouldn't go home and see the others, correct Omi's slang, talk to Clay about books, wash, rinse, repeat their fight against evil. She wouldn't hear Raimundo laugh again, put up with him pulling her pigtails, she'd let herself hope and gone too far. There was only one option now.

She turned to face him and clung to his body, ignored the coppery scent of blood. It didn't matter now. Nothing mattered, only him. Rai was here. They would be together. They wouldn't give the spectres the satisfaction of beating them. He held her tight and together they jumped from the ledge and fell until their lives became naught but a rush of wind.

**So...What do you think? Have I returned to form as the destroyer of feels? There is a box full of movie popcorn and turkish taffy right by that review box if you're so inclined. **


	8. Radioactive

**Struck with the inspiration bug, felt like hurting characters I didn't normally hurt. This is what comes of that. Still, I have listened to Radioactive more times than I care to remember and hate it now. I had a good time with this though.**

**Guest: Thank you so much for the review!**

**Making Some Toast: Erm...this is awkward...Thank you so much for liking it, but it was Clay/OC...Still, Thank you so much for liking it and taking the time to review! :^)**

**Grape Icies: I can't help it. I'm an author. My life's goal is to frustrate my readership by any means necessary. Thanks for the review! :^)**

_I'm waking up, I feel it in my bones  
Enough to make my systems blow  
Welcome to the new age_

The onslaught of pure power was like an unexpected bath in ice water, the essence of water, wind, fire, and earth, coursing through his body as though they were blood. For a moment, the shock almost forced him to his knees, but as the elements merged with his body in tendrils of storm could gray, dark amber, and forest green, he'd never felt stronger.

The lantern fell from his grip as he walked forwards, moving across the air as though it was ground. As it hit the ground and he exhaled, in some part of his mind, he realized that he'd been holding his breath. The Sun Chi Lantern was as of a minute ago untested and he hadn't expected it to be like this.

The warring armies didn't pause their attack to look, whether it was from distraction or disrespect was up for debate, but from up here, washed in the brilliant glow emanating from his body, the soldiers looked as fragile as glass automatons. Tiny, frail, and so, so stupid. They just did what they were told, didn't question how truly stupid this conflict was. They didn't listen when he'd tried to stop this, but then again, seeing them as they did now, he couldn't believe that he ever thought they would.

There was a stillness to the air. Stillness and silence, he'd been removed from the world in order to reshape it in his own image, from the inside out. There would be peace and it would start now.

He extended his hand and with a flick of his fingers, the earth split before him. Now that he could see for himself what could be done, he couldn't believe that he hadn't created the lantern before. Such power, all the elements at his fingertips, all these years it'd been wasted across four vessels. Now, now it rested with somebody who knew how to use it.

The soldiers stared up at him, their faces a mix of awe and terror. For a moment, a brief feeling of discomfort crossed his mind, but he pushed it aside. Before he didn't know how to handle their attention, but now he did. It was glorious, the eyes of the world on him, filled with reverence. He was their god and they knew it. They knew his true power and knew that their fragile lives rested in the palm of his hand. It was disgusting.

Such weak minded subjects, abandoning their previous goals for the sake of their own survival, but at least they were devout. And to cement his power, he called to the water in their bodies, and said, "Bow," his voice resonating as if there were many of him, and they knelt before him. He didn't see the veins of black creeping across his glowing skin like cracks in marble.

**Anyone up for a review? I'm up for a review! I'd love a review! It's like a Klondike bar in that I'm not entirely sure what I'd do for one, but I'd really like one. **


	9. Requested Speedwrites!

**Gaaah...Sorry these took so long! I wish I was quicker with them! Alright, so speedwrites as requested by Revolutionarymind, Raikim, Omi, Clay/Emma, Other various characters! Enjoy!**

**Man! I Feel Like a Woman (Shania Twain)**

Tonight, she wasn't Kimiko, Xiaolin Dragon of Fire. Tonight, she was Kimiko Tohomiko, dancing queen. It hadn't been difficult to get out and Dashi did she need this! She'd given Keiko a call, grabbed the golden tiger claws, and the next thing they knew they were inside one of the hottest clubs they knew.

Tonight, there would be no sweaty socks thrown around, no fart jokes, no nasty discussions on the relative deliciousness of barbeque sauce on food items. She was out, wearing as much glitter as possible, and dancing with her friends. And it was absolutely perfect. She could do anything she wanted to, she could hit on that dude in the open front shirt, she didn't have to think of how practical her hair would be for fighting, she could get as crazy as she wanted.

**I Won't Back Down (Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers)**

People didn't think of brave when they first met Raimundo, they generally thought "slacker," but looking at him now, facing off againt Wuya at full power, with not a trace of fear, Kimiko couldn't think of anything else. He was a fighter, that much was obvious.

"Come now Raimundo. Think of all we can do together," she said, offering him one last chance to leave without a fight.

"You're gonna have to drag me to hell first Witch," he spat, the winds gathering around him in a maelstrom.

**Bad Reputation (Joan Jett)**

Ashley did not care what people thought of her. Whether it was at school or dealing with the Xiaolin-Heylin conflict. If she wanted to wear a purple mini and a tube top, she would, if she wanted to make money rather than take over the world, well, hey, not anybody else's problem. She still was making top marks in AP Bio and could kick Xiaolin ass anyday of the week.

And of course, she wasn't going to go groveling at the egotistical jackasses, like Chase Wuya, or Hannibal like Jack. She was in this for herself and she would do whatever it took to get to the top.

**Violet Mariner (William Ascenzo)**

Just what he'd always needed. His own Evil Navy! These plans were his best yet. He could picture himself now, at the prow of his flagship, the salty sea breeze in his face, facing the waves as only an evil conqueror could. His legendary laugh would echo defiantly against the storm and his evil wardrobe would be so _epic_, his cape, he would have to have a cape, billowing behind him like a shadow and his glorious evil hat would make years of sailing camp worth it.

**Kashmir (Led Zeppelin)**

It was moments like these where he felt old. He'd traveled through the seas of time so often, and the ice had made him so, so old. He'd seen such great things, he'd seen the temple as a skeleton of a building, he'd had a Showdown with Grand Master Dashi, he'd witnessed his magic first hand, yet he couldn't shake some images from his head.

Every time he closed his eyes, his mind was wracked with his friends, aged and decrepit, dying at the hands of Jack Spicer's robots. He saw Master Monk Guan, the discoloured, pus oozing scar across his eye, transform into that scorpion creature. Only he remembered Chase Young drinking the soup again, the way his skin rippled and contorted as he changed again. He remembered the chill of the ice, preserving him for all time.

And yet despite these things, the time vortex called to him. Time was like a river and he knew the rivers better than anyone else. The others could deal with the problems of the present; matters of Time were his domain. He would learn from the past and change the future.

**Heroe (Enrique Iglesias)**

This felt perfect, lying here with her in his arms. She felt at the same time so strong and so fragile. Even though she could more than handle anything that came their way, he wanted to protect Kimiko from whatever they faced. He pulled her closer, God he wanted to be everything to her. He was ready for tomorrow, they would start on one of their greatest adventures and come what may, he would always have tonight, lying with her with their heartbeats in sync.

**The Card Cheat (The Clash)**

She was always a gambling woman. She'd bet her life on her luck more times than she could count, and while her small bets never paid off (but then again, what's a magicical doodad now and then anyway?), but the big ones did. It didn't hurt that she tended to have a trick up her sleeve, but this time she didn't.

A long time ago she'd bet her heart, long shot odds, and real life wasn't the movies, the under dog didn't win in the end. But then again, she was living a comic book life, the deck still had one last ace and it somehow found its way to her door.

**Bad Horse Chorus – Reprise (Doctor Horrible's Sing-along-Blog)**

"Bad Oswald," muttered Gray, the girl not particularly happy with the horse's attempt to bite her.

**Is It Any Wonder? (Keane)**

He'd done so much for the temple, he'd stuck his neck out for them and they threw it back in his face. For the last year, he'd thought he'd been doing the right thing, that he'd been one of the good guys, but he'd been punished for trying to do the right thing. Maybe the hag was right. Maybe his talents were being wasted on the Xiaolin side. He was done sticking up for them, it only lead to humiliation and he never got his due.

**Postcards from Far Away (Coldplay)**

Even when she was too busy with the company to help at the Temple, she could always read the cards Rai sent her. One from every place they went, so that when she couldn't be there, she could still be a part of their adventures.

**Teenage Dream (Boyce Avenue)**

When he looked at her like that, the smug curve of his mouth, the slight wrinkle of his nose, the gleam in his eye, it brought her back. For a moment, she was a young dragon in training, competing with him over training or just wasting one of their rare days off together. She couldn't have imagined then what their lives would turn out to be, but she wouldn't trade it for anything in the world.

They were older now, to state the obvious, there was more gray in her hair than black, his eyes were surrounded by laugh lines, but still, every time, she felt so special.

"Kim, it's our song," he said, turning up the radio, taking her hand, and singing along with the music. "Raimundo is so sexyfine, he's so sexyfine he blows your mind, but you can't have him…"

"I still can't believe this is actually a song," she said. inspite of herself, she smiled as they swayed in time with the music.

**1) Shush yourself. I like this song and nobody can tell me otherwise. **

**2) I'm firmly of the belief that this is Rai's themesong. **

**3) I like Katnappe...I think she's awesome!**

**4) Dang you Homestuck Fandom! Why is something that makes such great music full of such terrible people?**

**5) Omi as the eternal time traveler, I think it works out. :^)**

**6) Even though this is in Spanish and Rai's Brazilian so he would speak Portuguese, this version of this song is my Raikim themesong. **

**7) I could see Emma as a card shark. **

**8) I'm not sorry.**

**9) Eh. Not my best, not my worst. **

**10) I like this one. This is one of my favorite songs, but it's too short. **

**11) Listen to this version. It's amazing and wonderful and I cite him as my reason for loving Katy Perry music sung by guys...**


End file.
